RI’s Top 100: let’s lift the veil

It’s countdown to the launch of Recycling International’s Top 100. On 16 July, the full list of the first Top 100 of the most inspiring people and practices in recycling around the world will be published in the July/August magazine, followed by a special newsletter on 21 July.

For those who cannot wait that long, RI’s chief editor Martijn Reintjes is more than happy to offer some facts and figures. ‘Although we’re still busy finalising the ranking, we know now that the list contains recyclers from at least 30 countries worldwide,’ he says. ‘All scrap commodities are represented with up to 20 businesses active in plastics recycling.’

The initiative also shows that recycling is no longer a man’s world. Of the 100 businesses spotlighted, 15 are led by women.      

RI’s Top 100 is published in a year dominated by the Covid-19 pandemic. ‘This crisis has shown that our industry and the people working in it are resilient, creative, innovative and – above all – they never give up,’ says Reintjes. ‘We believe that, perhaps more than ever, this is the time to celebrate all the good things the sector is doing.’

The Top 100 is not ranked by biggest scrap volume or turnover, Reintjes emphasises. ‘The list will contain those people we believe are making the difference, who are an example, who inspire others, who stand out from the crowd.’